XQD Update

In my previous post “Are XQD Cards Obsolete“, I was wondering the direction the industry is going. Some DSLR cameras that utilize this technology were becoming limited once Lexar decided to close up shop. A current search on B&H Photo only shows 2 vendor choices Sony and Delkin. Delkin is relatively new to the XQD arena, so we will have to see how that pans out. I intend to personally try these cards to see how they do in a real world shoot.

I am glad that manufacturers like Delkin have stepped up to help photographers continue their quest to capture great images. I know that other technologies are on the forefront that may surpass the XQD one day, like the CFexpress, which companies like Nikon and Canon are actively involved in trying to implement.

What is CFexpress?

CFexpress 1.0 (AKA Industrial CFX) is the next generation of high speed, removable storage standard to support bigger, faster hosts in many different markets. Industrial CFexpress is the merging of two standards: XQD® 2.0 and CFAST® 2.0, into a new standard that uses the popular PCIe® interface, and the NVM Express® protocol. This new standard is designed to allow high resolution files, and high speed recording with low latency, be achieved in a small rugged form factor.

It is my sincere hope that those of us that use DSLR camera bodies with XQD, will have the opportunity to use the CFexpress perhaps via a firmware upgrade, rather than being forced to purchase new equipment to adopt this tech. Ultimately whether this tech will be embraced is up to the manufacturers new body announcements and firmware development.